Hi all,

I had some real fun this summer learning the basics of hand planes. I restored an old Stanley 60 1/2 that I got on ebay (mostly just involved flattening the bottom) and I bought a Lee Valley Veritas low angle jack plane and a Lee Valley Veritas low angle block plane (a bit larger than the 60 1/2). I also spent some time with an old Stanley No. 4, but it was a friends and I have since returned it to him.

I have had good results learning to sharpen the blades -- I use veritas honing guides and diamond lapping stones and 3M lapping films to get very sharp blades. And I have learned how to use the planes to the point were I get nice wispy and micro thin shavings. While I am no expert, I am getting quite satisfactory results smoothing wood with the planes in multiple applications.

I know that low angle, bevel-up planes are supposed to be better for end grain work and that standard (bevel down) planes are supposed to be better for general purposes and for "difficult" wood. As you can see from the above, most of my experience is with low angle planes. I find the bevel up approach easy to understand, and the simpler mechanism easy to set up.

I am going to purchase another plane soon: a Number 4 smoother which will fit nicely in between the two sizes I have and should be very versatile for me. I am going to a local Lee Nielsen event and I know they make beautiful planes. Like Lee Valley Veritas, Lie Nielsen make a standard bedded bevel down No 4 plane and a low angel No 4 plane equivalent. The low angle planes for both manufacturers are cheaper, undoubtedly because they do not have the additional heavy chip breaker that the bevel down planes use. I am trying to understand what the true pros and cons are for bevel up versus bevel down in a number 4 size smoother.

I know that I will have a chance to explore this in person at the Lie Nielsen event, but would welcome any thoughts from the experts here to help me get my thoughts together before I am confronted with two beautiful planes and have to make a choice (or, God forbid, not).

Thanks!

-dan